Travel Review: Genting Highlands (Part 1)

It's been 5 years since I last visited Genting Highlands but that was for an entire week of work (was interning at MTVAsia). There was hardly any time to simply relax and enjoy even though I did sped a lot of time at Highlands Hotel The Bakery (they have decent sandwiches and desserts) and Coffee Terrace for their International buffet. Fast forward 5 years and I was given the opportunity to visit the place again as a tourist. Was invited by Nuffnang to join LadyIronChef for a foodie trail plus catch Khalil Fong's concert. It couldn't get better than this. Decided to bring my aunt (affectionately known as my Mama) with me on the trip. This is the most important woman in my life (mum comes second) and I love to bring her out to experience new things like trying new cuisines or visiting new places together.

Anyway, Genting remained the same as I remembered. Best way to get away from the heat in Singapore, thanks to the cool weather. I'm not too sure if predictability and consistency are good traits that RWG should maintain (in certain aspects) because the facade was as dated as back when I was a kid. It's almost like stepping into a time capsule. A little nostalgic but I don't quite appreciate it that way.I stayed at Resorts Hotel previously which has quite decent amenities and the interior was a little more polished. This time we were put up at First World Hotel and let's just say this would never be on my accommodation list if I were given a choice. Even the easy going Mama was complaining about the lack of bath items and how spartan the deluxe room was and she is a very simple lady. Well I guess it really boils down to your budget. If you want a cheap and no frills lodging, this would be it. It's comfortable enough for a short weekend. If you want something more luxe, go for the better rooms/suites at Highlands Hotel, Resorts Hotel or The Maxims.

Lodging aside, the plus points of First World Hotel is that it has the largest shopping arcade and tons of dining options ranging from fast food, hawker to mini restaurants. Entertainment wise, there is 1 cinema and a karaoke lounge as well as an indoor theme park which is perfect for the kiddies. In fact, the Mama and I woke up early to catch the 4D Little Prince ride because she really enjoyed the Shrek one at Universal Studio Singapore. For RM8 per pax, I think it's inexpensive for a 20min ride and thus I can discount the lackluster 4D experience (to me it was just 3d with the rocking chair motion). We spent more money on the photograph they took of us (rm30).

What we both enjoyed was our little excursion to the Farms. Along with some other bloggers and Brad, we headed to the lower Skyway area and that's where the Strawberry, Lavender and Mushroom farms were located.

The simple pleasures in life. Plucking our own mutant strawberries. It's RM6 for 100g. We only picked a few because the prettier ones are already in boxes (RM15/box). Well I still prefer those that I had in England. These are skinnier and more tart.Marveling at the wonders of Nature's creations. The Mama has green fingers and she loves the fruits and plants in the farm. She kept wishing she had a pair of scissors so she can graft the roses back home. Haha.

The Lavenders were not in season yet and we only saw a few pitiful stalks. This made me miss Croatia with all her vibrant and flourishing wild lavender bushes. Too bad they don't have a mushroom restaurant here. They really ought to do something like Mushroom Pot here though. I would love to sample the fresh fungi. That would definitely trump the diluted strawberry milk tea that they were selling just next door.

How to get there- cab from the resorts on meter would cost you about RM20. To prevent us from getting conned, the Genting people helped us book cabs for our journey. It costs RM35 per way. Just tell the driver that you want to go to the Lower Skyway Strawberry Farm, which is together with the mushroom and lavender farms.Another highlight was obviously the Khalil Fong concert. I love this dude even though I haven't been following him actively. The other bloggers were surprised to know that Mama actually knows this guy. This lady watches Taiwanese variety shows. She was clapping enthusiastically during the concert. So cute. The bloggers were given different class tickets from our plus 1 and I wasn't very pleased about leaving her somewhere else during the show. Zyon, an ecoblogger, was really nice to exchange tickets with us so that Mama can sit in front with me. Anyway, i gotta say that the Arena of Stars is quite a good place to have a concert. Hsiao Jing Teng is gonna be performing there soon.

We even managed to grab a backstage pic with Khalil after the show. Bleah. Too many cameras and they didn't coordinate at all so I ended up looking at the wrong cam. Grr. Nevertheless, cool dude, great songs and performance. I like how he's a little awkward and in his own world. So yeap. This is what we did other than all the eating. It's supposed to be a food trip after all. Thanks for Nuffnang and Resorts World Genting for the trip. My little old lady enjoyed herself quite a fair bit and that's what matters to me the most. More on my favorite eats in Genting in the next post!

About the Author

C is a tiny food and travel blogger with a voracious appetite for life, a demanding eater who is on a perpetual holiday. expect her to intensify hunger pangs and exacerbate wunderlust. #MsSkinnyfat # TravelerinTransit

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-Singapore Best Food Blog 2015-
C is a tiny food and travel blogger with a voracious appetite for life, a demanding eater on a perpetual holiday. Expect her to intensify hunger pangs and exacerbate wunderlust. #MsSkinnyfat # TravelerinTransit